(The Center Square) — New Hampshire voters still overwhelmingly support a state law aimed at preventing biological males from competing in women’s sports.
At least that’s according to a poll published by the New Hampshire Journal. The poll showed that 54% of respondents to a survey conducted by Praecones Analytica would be “less likely” to support politicians who vote in favor of allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports.
The news outlet reported that only 15% of respondents said they would be “more likely” to support those elected officials. Another 31% said it would make no difference to them.
The poll comes as New Hampshire officials are fighting in court to defend a new law that bars some transgender students from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity.
The “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” signed into law by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in July, requires students in grades 5-12 to compete on school sports teams that match the gender listed on their birth certificates. Sununu said it “ensures fairness and safety in women’s sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions.” About two dozen states have adopted similar measures.
In August, two transgender teenage girls and their families sued New Hampshire in an effort to overturn the law, arguing that it violates federal Title IX civil rights rules, which prevent sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities.
Last month, a federal judge granted the plaintiffs a preliminary injunction partially blocking the enforcement of the law’s provisions while the case is being litigated.
In her ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty wrote that the plaintiffs “are likely to succeed on the merits of their Title IX claims” and “are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of a preliminary injunction.”
“Regardless of the availability of other athletic opportunities, in the absence of a preliminary injunction plaintiffs would be publicly singled out for discriminatory treatment based on an immutable characteristic,” McCafferty wrote. “The stigma and humiliation that comes from such treatment of a child at the hands of the State is substantial and irreparable.”
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella is among a group of Republicans urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold laws that bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ school sports. The high court is considering a West Virginia law similar to New Hampshire’s restrictions on transgender athletes in youth sports.
The legal fight over the law has garnered national media attention amid an ongoing debate over transgender women competing in women’s sports, which is a key issue in next Tuesday’s presidential election. In Congress, Republicans have filed a resolution defining sex under Title IX as “a person’s biological sex at birth” amid calls from female athletic groups to ban the practice.
A recent nationwide Gallup poll showed that 69% of respondents believe individuals should only participate on teams and in sports that match their biological sex.
